I Said It's Just a Boy's Game, But Girls Play Too
by Izumi's Apprentice
Summary: Two little science nerds meet earlier in this universe than in the one we already know. What perils and pitfalls will accompany their early meeting? What heartaches may these troubled first graders encounter? Sanvers AU. Eventual romantic Sanvers.


Disclaimer: I do not own Supergirl

Author's Notes: Supergirl Secret Santa Femslash holiday exchange for Graceybrook/grace-and-poise-of-a-queen.

Prompt: When Maggie, a new student, reaches the front of the lunch line, they realize they don't have enough cash to buy their food. Before this can become apparent to anyone else in the cafeteria, Alex, quickly offers to pay for both of their lunches. (Again I can work other ships into the story)

I Said It's Just a Boys' Game But Girls Play Too

First grade was not like Kindergarten, it was a big deal. The real start of school. And six year old Maggie Sawyer was scared out of her mind. She had gone into Kindergarten in Blue Springs, Nebraska already knowing the alphabet and able to read basic books, like Clifford and Mother Goose Rhymes. She had loved learning the new things too though and she even made a friend, but before her parents had told her they were moving, her friend moved away first. Maggie was sad for many days after that, her only friend gone forever. And then they were moving across the country to California, where the movies were made! Well, not really, she was told. They were actually moving much more north of Hollywood, to a place called Midvale, near the ocean. That cheered her up some.

Maggie loved to swim. She wasn't as good as papa but she loved the water like a fish. She hoped one day to surf like her cousins do when they visit them in the summertime. Now she was by the ocean all the time. However, she was getting scared again, as it was a little into the school year now by the time everything was ready for her to attend the new school. If it was anything like her old school, the kids were probably already packed together in friend groups and Maggie would be all by herself again, standing out from the crowd because she was new and darker skinned.

"There's no need to be nervous, cara," her mom told Maggie as she finished eating breakfast. She shrugged, noncommittal, preferring to see it to believe it first.

Her mother was kind enough to drive her to school this first day but she knew it wouldn't last. It would soon be awkward and uncomfortably bumpy bus rides from now on. Luckily in elementary schools, the teachers were all the same for a single grade, unless it was an extra class like physical education, music, or art, which she could follow the rest of the class to the room if the teacher didn't escort them like her old school. The secretary who met her at the door walked her to her new class, pointing out the closest bathroom before they arrived.

"Have fun today, Maggie," she chirped before heading back to the office.

Maggie chewed on her lip for a few moments, attempting to peer in through the door's window, but finding herself too short. It sounded like the other kids were just hanging about before the school day started. At least she wouldn't make a big scene by arriving late. Finally she pushed the handle down and stepped inside. The classroom was pretty big, but her classmates weren't that large a group. Maggie walked toward the desks, and noticing the names on the top of them, she began to look for her own, or an empty one.

Finding hers between two boys named Jason and Alex in the second row, Maggie set her bag by the chair and climbed into her seat to fiddle with the latch. She found a notebook and a few sharpened pencils inside. Good. Her mom hadn't remembered to pack her bag with anything but a sandwich and a bottle of water today. After handling a small squabble in the back of the room, the red headed teacher came forward through the rows of desks, a hand on the shoulder of a small brunette girl. Waiting for the girl to take her seat to the right of Maggie, she went to the front of the room and called the class to attention.

Oh. It was a girl Alex. Okay.

Maggie shrugged after accepting that fact, glancing briefly around at the rest of the students sitting, then focused on the teacher.

"I'm going to take roll call. When I call out your name, tell me you are here and if I mispronounced your name, or if you have a nickname, let me know. Alright?" Miss Hendricks announced.

"Alright," a few kids replied.

"Donald Barrett..."

"Here. Donny please."

"Jason Brooks..."

"Here."

"Nicolas Carpenter..."

"Here. My parents calls me Nick."

"Alex Danvers..."

"Here," said the girl to Maggie's right.

A whisper raised up from the back of the room. " _Alexandra,"_ followed by a few giggles.

Miss Hendricks paused herself and addressed the situation. "She prefers to be called Alex and I trust you to follow this school's rules about respecting your classmates," she explained in a firm yet kind voice. Continuing on, names like Elsie Knight and Robyn Myers were called out until finally, "Margaret Sawyer."

Again, the class broke out into a few giggles. So what if she had an older name? Slowly, shyly, Maggie raised her hand. "It's Maggie, please," she murmured, biting her lip again.

"Maggie. It's a pleasure to have you," Miss Hendricks smiled at her, hoping to ease the girl's obvious nerves. The roll call ended with Tanya Vaughn and classroom etiquette was discussed along with a reminder of the school's rules and policies students were to follow. It was obvious that they had gone over much of the material before as some of the kids were groaning at the repetitiveness but Maggie appreciated the subtle way her teacher was integrating her into the new situation without calling attention to her situation.

This year they would be learning about dinosaurs and about the solar system, attempting to practice cursive writing early if interested. And better yet, reading some Beverly Cleary and Frog and Toad. Maggie was already beginning to feel better, excited almost at the school year.

A few weeks had passed since the first scary day at school and though Maggie stuck to herself and avoided reaching out to her classmates, she was as nervous about the new school anymore. She was getting the hang of the slightly different structure and even laughing a little when a kid cracked a joke. She was still feeling a little lonely, too small in a big world what with her parents always working and her still somewhat an outcast at school. She only got picked on sometimes, usually a quiet, unheard mock in the hallways she wasn't positive in its direction to her. Maggie had a feeling she stood out, but kept her head down and ignored everyone around her.

She did often watch the way Alex Danvers worked a room though. It was like she naturally earned respect, but Maggie knew it was because the boys were scared of her and the girls didn't want anything to do with a tomboy. She wondered if Alex was as lonely as she was. Alex didn't seem to mind one way or the other, often focusing on classwork and beating the other boys in phys ed or during recess. Maggie held her own decently well, enjoying the exertion of sports but she made sure to not stand out more than usual. Everyone around her did all look the same to her eyes.

Her mom once used a word for a perfect race desired by a very bad man. What was it...oh Aryan. Snow White like skin, blonde hair, blue eyes, tall, strong. That's all Maggie saw around her. Except for Alex. Well, she was lighter skinned but she at least at brown hair unlike most of the other girls. Maggie kind of wanted to be her friend but wasn't sure how to approach her. With Hanna at her old school, it just kind of happened out of the blue. Hanna sat next to her one lunch and began chatting, wouldn't stop bugging her. Not that Maggie felt bugged, she felt...liked. And then they became friends. Maggie knew she didn't have the guts to be like Hanna toward Alex.

But she was content enough that she didn't worry about it. It wasn't until she was in her second month of school that she had her first encounter with Alex Danvers.

Maggie's mother had forgotten to pack her a lunch that morning. She had awoken to an empty and cold house, her parents already gone off to work for the day, and she couldn't find anything to eat in the house for lunch, so she ate her cereal and carefully watched the clock to not miss the bus. She wasn't sure where the school was and feared walking by herself and being super late. She figured she would just eat hot lunch like so many of the kids at the school did.

When lunch rolled around, Miss Hendricks escorting them to the cafeteria and leaving to enjoy her own lunch, seemingly not on lunch duty this particular day, Maggie stepped in line with her fellow first graders. She fiddled with her thumbs as she watched what was being served and planning to mimic their actions to fit in better.

After grabbing her tray and agreeing to the choices being placed on her plate she neared the end of the line and saw what looked like one of the new cash register computer like screens with a lunch lady present. Did...did she have to pay? Maggie's throat closed up slightly as panic began to overtake her body, she bit her lip as she neared the front of the line, eyes wide as alien saucers and fearing tears might leak out.

"And who are you?" the lunch lady asked.

"Ma...Maggie Sawyer," she whispered.

"Hm," she said looking in the system. "It doesn't look like you have any lunch funds in your account. I'm sorry, but-"

Before she could finish, a small body shouldered their way to the front of the line and stood by Maggie's side defiantly. "Put it on my account," came the girlish voice.

Maggie has since lowered her head so when she glanced up through her curly hair, her eyes widened in shock.

"I'm sorry, Miss Danvers, but that isn't how it works."

"Why not? She doesn't have food already and we all need to eat. We're growing kids," Alex replied derisively, daring to glare at the older woman.

The lunch lady sighed and shook her head. "Fine, but don't let it happen again. Get your parents to put money on your account, Miss Sawyer," she waved them away.

Alex stepped aside out of line, watching as Maggie slowly joined her. "Th—thanks," Maggie said. "You didn't have to do that."

"Of course I did."

Maggie's brows furrowed as she looked at Alex's face. She was so strong and confident. Why couldn't she be like that?

"Come on, let's go sit down," Alex urged Maggie, noting that there was a bit of a crowd staring at the pair of them, especially those originally in line behind Maggie.

"Kay," Maggie whispered, following Alex's lead.

"So like...are you, is your family low on money?" Alex asked quietly, nervous of offending Maggie.

"No," Maggie said, slowly cutting up the chicken nuggets on her plate.

"Then why didn't you have funds in your account?"

"I didn't know I needed them. My mom forgot to pack me a lunch today. Guess they didn't know hot lunch needed money sent in before lunch..." Maggie said, still not looking at Alex.

"Hey," Alex said softly, reaching a hand out to place on Maggie's still one. "It's okay. It happens."

"Does it?" Maggie asked.

Alex shrugged. "I guess?" her face scrunched up on one side, unsure. "But maybe we should talk about something new. Why did you move here?"

"Dunno," Maggie shrugged, dunking a nugget into some barbecue sauce before popping it into her mouth.

"Oh. Do...you like it here?" Alex sounded a little disappointed but she tried again. Maggie smiled slightly, glad Alex didn't give up on her yet. Maybe they _could_ be friends.

"I really like Miss Hendricks," Maggie admitted. "And I'm excited to learn about space."

"Me too!" Alex chirped, grinning widely. "My parents are scientists and we talk about the planets and stars and aliens all the time but I can't wait to do read about it in school or do a project."

Maggie giggled. "I love science too." The remainder of their lunch period was spent talking about the various little things they had heard about space already and which constellations they could already identify in the sky.


End file.
